


Somebody to Die For

by bacillicide



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-09-20 00:45:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9467912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bacillicide/pseuds/bacillicide
Summary: Underworld!AU. Maka, escaping from the clutches of a madman, literally stumbles into the Underworld--courtesy of being the soulmate of a certain young shinigami. But Kid's enemies have being waiting for him to show a weakness and Maka is a delightfully mortal one.





	1. Chapter 1

Maka Albarn was running for her life.

She couldn’t quite see how her life events that led up to this other than the fact she always had a hard time of things and she was notorious for being at the wrong spot at the wrong time. She refused to believe that she went through all of that shit just to die a the hands of a madman with a rather large butcher knife. But there was only so much a girl could take.

Like hell would she die without a fight.

He was starting to gain on her now which caused her adrenaline to spike again. Her heart was already ready to explode out of her chest. She had always been fairly athletic but the chase had been wearing her down bit by bit the longer it went on. The neighborhoods got darker and seedier and she knew she wasn’t going to find help here, even if she managed to scream from her exhausted lungs. Her heart constricted when she turned in the alley and met with a brick wall and two large wooden doors. They had skulls carved into the wood, ornately around the edges. Beyond a cursory look at the doors, she had no time to consider the owner’s questionable aesthetics.

She fell against the doors her breath ragged, “I’m sorry!” she gasped out as she pushed the doors. They were heavy but after a second they opened and she stumbled into the room beyond. She heard the doors shut behind her and her legs gave out, “Help...” She hit hard ground, but for some reason it didn’t hurt as much as should have. Her eyes were closing rapidly but she thought she saw a face leaning over her as she lost consciousness.

-

“How did a girl open the doors by herself? Someone had to have let her in.” Death the Kid sat in his office his fingers folded in his lap. His eyes flashed a little at the demon in front of him as if trying to detect a lie. Behind him stood two of the Erinyes, the Thompson sisters, Liz and Patti. They stood at full attention the moment Kid’s tone had taken on a hint of anger.

“That’s just the thing,” the demon, Bael shuddered a little under the molten amber gaze of the Prince of Death, “as far as anyone can tell, she _did_ open the gates herself.” 

 

_How could a mortal see the door let alone open it?_ Kid asked himself, leaning his chin on a perfectly symmetrical pillowing of his hands, “where is she now?”

“We’ve placed her in one of the cells for now, she’s still asleep. Her condition is not great. She has sustained a few wounds and it looks like her body had been under some sort of stress. She immediately collapsed after opening the doors.”

Kid’s anger flashed a little in his eyes  again,  “ I n the cells?  We have a guest for the first time in recent memory— an injured one at that! —and you put her in the dungeon?  Bring her up to one of the guest bedrooms. Now. I will speak to her when she’s awake.”

Bael stumbled over himself in his rush to do what his young Prince commanded and Kid sighed. Liz, the taller and older of the Thompson sisters, came out from her place behind Kid and crossed her arms. She looked down at the boy she considered her brother, her family.

“Kid, what are we going to do with her?”

“For now, talk to her.” He stood up, putting his hands in the pockets of his black slacks, “did you have a better idea?”

“She’s going to be distraught,” Liz said with a sigh.

He looked at the sisters. Despite being goddesses in their own right they always seemed to have a better understanding of humans than he did. Why they chose to stand by him through the centuries he hadn’t a clue, “I will deal with that as it comes then.”

Liz tried to exchange a look with her sister, but Patti as usual wasn’t the best at picking up social clues and she burst into maniacal laughter, “Kid! You’re going to scare her!” Apparently the thought wasn’t a source of worry for the younger Thompson sister who continued to laugh from her belly.

Ignoring Patti with the air of someone used to her outbursts, Kid began to walk. He just had to follow the only living soul wavelength in his kingdom. There was something more to it however, something more than the fact it was alive… but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why it was so different. Something about it drew him in, called him closer.

They arrived at the guest room and he could feel the brightness of her soul just on the other side of the wall. “I won’t do anything to scare her. You two stand outside. Make sure we are not interrupted.”

The two sisters took up places on either side of the door, watching as the young shinigami entered the room and settled in to wait.

-

When Maka woke she was surrounded by soft warmth. It took her mind a moment to catch up and a scream tore from her throat when she realized he must have caught her. There was no way she was going to lose, not as long as she was alive. She threw off the covers but in her panic her legs tangled in the blankets, tripping her and she dove head-first towards the floor, letting out a second scream as she closed her eyes tightly. She was caught by two strong arms before she hit the ground.

“I assure you that no one will harm you here.”

She opened her eyes wide when she heard the voice and turned her head. Maka looked up to see what she could only describe as the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. He had black hair with three white lines on one side, and a slim but athletic build. She could tell he was quite a bit taller than her. But what really caught her attention was his eyes. They were a beautiful gold and they were currently looking at her with gentleness that she was not accustomed to as he sat her back on the bed. After his task was complete he stepped back a few steps as if to give her space. 

Sh e was breathless, her heart racing as if she had still been running all this time, “W-who are you?” she blurted out, “what happened to… to...” her sentence fell away. Her body was shaking as if it could not believe that the ordeal was over and she was  _still_ alive. What happened when she fell through the door? It mus have been this man’s door, why else would he be here?  If that was true was  _he_ still trying to find her? He had to be. There was no way he was going to leave Maka alive. Not after what she had seen.  She squeezed her eyes against the memory.

“I’m called Death the Kid. As for your second question, I’m not quite sure what you mean. I don’t believe there was anyone with you when you came through the gates. Can you remember what happened before you ended up here?”

“I-I was running. He was chasing me and… I turned to a dead end. But it wasn’t a dead end, there were these double doors. That was your door wasn’t it? I’m sorry.” her chest ached with anxiety and fear. She pressed her hand against it, “I’m Maka, by the way. Maka Albarn.” She took a moment to look down at her arms. There had been jagged gashes from her struggle with the murderer, but they were now wrapped in bandages. She could see some blood had soaked through.

Kid  seemed to be watching her very, very carefully, “ They were indeed my doors. However, you should not have been able to see them or open them.” 

She felt completely bewildered, as if he was speaking a language she didn’t quite understand,  “I-I’m not sure what you mean.” Her heart picked up it’s pace. 

He looked at her with something that looked like… regret? “ Do you know where you are,  Albarn-san ?”

Her legs drew up to her chest, “Not in Kansas anymore?” She managed a small chuckle at her own joke.

Kid blinked  a little in confusion, as if he didn’t get the reference, “No. Not anymore.  Albarn-san , welcome to the Underworld. More specifically, Death City.”

Her eyes widened and her body stilled. Kid’s body tensed in response, but  s he finally let out a  deep breath. The silence stretched between them as her mind seemed to rocket in all directions. She couldn’t grasp on any specific questions, she couldn’t seem to grab a firm hold on any thought at all.  _Shock, I’m going into shock_ , she thought.

“I need to go home now.” she said finally, quietly and she closed her eyes against the response she was almost positive she was going to hear.

“I’m sorry… you can’t.”

-

_Mine._

Death the Kid jumped a little at the thought, schooling his face into gentle impassiveness, or what he hoped looked like it. He could barely keep the storm inside of him at her explanation. Someone had been _chasing_ her and she had felt so desperate she had most likely by accident, summoned the gates of the Underworld. It was unheard of.  She must have been scared out of her mind for such a thing to happen. He was willing to bet on the guess that the wounds that Bael had been referring to were caused by the same man. He felt his fists clench at his sides at the thought of someone harming her. His nails eventually broke the skin of his palms, bringing him back to the present. She was babbling at this point but the pitch of her voice was leaning towards hysteria. 

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, “I know this is a lot for you to take in.” when had he become so damn understanding? “but it’s not something I can reverse. When you opened the gates and walked through, you left your body behind. It has long since died without your soul to inhabit it.” He was not as good with humans as Liz, but something told him that was the wrong thing to say when he was greeted by silence. “Albarn-san?” he asked tentatively.

“S-so I’m dead?” Her voice sounded so heartbroken his throat went dry.

“Well… that’s a little difficult to explain. Your body is no longer habitable, but your soul is very much alive which is the form you are taking currently. You can’t leave because you have nothing to leave in. Your soul cannot go back to Earth without a body.”

He watched her pat her arms and legs, as if she didn’t expect them to be there, “I don’t understand. How do I have a physical body here then?”

“Well, you’re a human. Your soul exists on this plane as a physical being where on Earth it was attached to your physical body.” It was the most simple way he could come up with to explain it and fortunately she seemed to accept this explanation.

“So… I’m trapped here?”

His heart hurt a little as he muttered a confirmation .

She turned towards him after a long silence. H e was jolted to see a  small, rueful s mile on her face.

“Just call me Maka.”

A knock sounded on the door and the two of them jumped. He picked up on the nervousness and fear in her wavelength and he looked at her, “Don’t worry, you’re under my protection here. It’s just Liz or Patti, I asked them to watch the door to make sure no one came in while we talked.” He opened the door and briefly spoke to someone outside before turning back to the blonde girl, “I’m sorry, Maka. I had hoped to spend a little more time with you, but my father has summoned me. I’ll leave Liz and Patti with you and I will be back as soon as I can.”

Two girls entered the room and Maka looked at them hesitantly. Her eyes looked at him as if she didn’t want him to go. He fought off the instincts inside him that screamed for him to stay with her. He was a little surprised to feel… guilty? He felt guilty for leaving her in what seemed to be such a vulnerable state. She already seemed to have folded back into herself.

“I will be back.” he said again, more for his own benefit this time than hers.

-

“Hey hey hey!” Shinigami-sama greeted his son as Kid walked into his office.

“You called for me?” Kid asked, uncharacteristically short with his father. But his mind kept wandering back to Maka. He could still vaguely feel the bright light of her soul, even while this far from her and everything in him wanted to run back towards it.

If Shinigami-sama noticed his son’s attitude he gave no indication of it, “I just wanted to ask, what’s the Grigori soul doing here?”

Death the Kid looked at his father, shock overcoming his features, “Grigori… soul? She has a Grigori soul?” He had known there was something unusual when he first looked at her soul.

“Yes,” He waved his hand and a pen began to write on some paper without any hand guiding it, “a live one, it seems. It has been a long time since a living soul has come through here, but a Grigori… that is extremely rare.” he peered at his son, “… you know what that means?”

The shocked look didn’t fade from Kid’s face as his mind rapidly went through the information several times. His sudden overwhelming emotions upon seeing her, the strange pull of her soul… it made so much sense. He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t realized it the moment he laid eyes on her. His voice came out hoarse, “she’s my mate, isn’t she?”

Shinigami-sama gave a sage nod in response to his son’s question, “that would be what I would assume, with a Grigori soul.” The pen stopped writing and fell to the desk, inanimate. He looked at his son for a few more moments of silence before he let out a characteristically cheerful sigh, “you felt the pull of the bond, didn’t you?”

“...yes.” He admitted as his thoughts swirled around his brain like water around a drain.

Sensing his son’s troubled mind his skull mask took on a characteristically jovial expression, “Don’t worry, Kiddo. I know you’ll do what’s best. However, sooner rather than later will probably be better for both you.”

It was an obscure statement that Kid wanted to question, but Shinigami-sama had returned to his paperwork and Kid knew from experience that he wouldn’t get anything else from his father on the matter.

“Okay, Father. I’ll think on that.” He said stiffly as he left the office. His legs, almost without thought took him back to Maka’s room. He could hear the girls in there, their voices loud and excited. Maka’s voice joined them, but it was more subdued.

_Mate?_

_Mine._

_-_

Maka looked away from the Thompson sisters and their piles of clothes when she heard the soft click of the door opening and then closing. Death the Kid walked into the room and she couldn’t help but be glad to see him.

Liz looked at Kid as he entered the room as well, “Good, Kid’s here. He can vouch for us. You think that we have great taste, don’t you?”

Kid took in the piles of clothes, the two Thompson sisters and Maka’s ruffled appearance, “When you’re symmetrical, yes.” He turned to Maka, “If you don’t like anything the girls get for you we can get pretty much anything that you like. Just let me know.”

A blush crossed her cheeks at the thought of troubling Kid with something so trivial. She hadn’t realized how important he was when she had first spoken with him but Liz had been quick to give her a quick lowdown of the situation. Which really raised more questions than answers, especially since he came back like he had nothing better to do than help her pick out clothes with Liz and Patti, “I’m sure we can find something that would be just fine. I just… don’t you guys have anything a little less revealing?” She blushed more underneath Kid’s scrutiny. He kept his eyes on her the whole time.

Maka finally settled on a white sundress that made Liz sigh in disappointment and went into the bathroom to change. She glanced at the mirror and frowned at her appearance. She had dirt and what was probably dried blood on her face, neck and legs. She decided to bathe quickly as well.

The bathroom had a large tub that was big enough for three of her. She looked at the controls before managing to get the shower to work. It came down from the ceiling like a little waterfall. She quickly stripped off her clothes with relief and jumped into the shower.

The whole ordeal only took about ten minutes but when Maka emerged from the bathroom Kid was gone. Liz was sitting on the bed, looking at her fingernails and Patti had taken up the desk in the corner with her focus on a drawing that Maka couldn’t quite see. Liz looked up when the door opened and smiled.

“Kid had to go take care of some work but told us to take you around,” she took in her appearance, “well, that dress looks much better on you then it did on me, that’s for sure!”

Maka smiled a little at the compliment and accompanied the girls on a tour of the manor and the grounds. The manor was clean and rather modern styled, not at all what Maka would have expected if she was told to imagine the Underworld. She would have expected it to be a little more gloomy and darker. There was a lot black but it was tastefully broken up by white and red. _I suppose the color scheme is right_ she thought with a small laugh. All in all, it reminded her of a certain golden eyed boy with black and white hair.

The gardens were different however. There was enough color here to take hers breath away. Lilies, roses, chrysanthemums and rows of other flowers spread out a great distance before stopping in front of a hedge in the distance. Patti gave a shout of joy when they entered the garden and plowed through the flowers towards the hedges.

“Patricia Thompson!” Liz shouted, “Don’t you dare go into that maze again! I’m not going to go after you this time, I swear it!”

Patti’s maniacal laughter started up, “Liz is a scaredy-cat! SCAREDY-CAT!”

Maka couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the younger sister’s antics.

-

Maka couldn’t tell precisely how many days had passed since she had fallen on the Underworld’s doorstep. She had slept three times, but she had a feeling that the night and day cycle here did not equate the time time she was used to.

She spent most of her time with the Thompson sisters, though when Maka decided to take up her post in the library they invariably wandered off. Liz was quick to explain that books weren’t their thing and they had enough time hanging around the library with Kid. She had a suspicion however, that when they left her they went to help Kid with his work. Kid himself did not reappear and she was a little surprised at herself to feel as though she really missed him. _I don’t really know anything about him_ , she chided herself, her eyes narrowing at the text she was trying to read. With a sigh she put it on one of the many tables spread about the library in between couches and comfortable chairs. It was a mythology book, she had been scouring it for any details on the Underworld and although she didn’t really want to admit it to herself, for information on shinigami. The book had been vague at best.

Tiredness pulled at her mind, sleepiness beginning to cloud her mind a little. She let her thoughts focus on the golden-eyed boy. What was he doing at that moment? She had surprised herself by missing him but she didn’t feel anything wrong with that emotion. It seemed almost… right.

Yawning, she exited the library and began the walk back to her room. She must have taken a wrong turn though, she couldn’t quite place the hallway she was walking down. To her surprise, the hallway ended with two double doors.

She paused in front of the door. She was overcome by curiosity, but last time she had opened a double door it hadn’t gone that well for her… had it?

Finally, she shrugged and pulled the doors open.

It was a bedroom. It was just as plain as the bedroom that was designated as hers, the only real difference being the skull on the blanket that covered the bed. The layout even seemed the same, other than there was a door on the right and left side of the room. She yawned again, eyeing the bed. It looked rather unoccupied and she really was tired. Something in the back of her mind nudged her towards the bed. It would be okay.

She crawled into the sheets and the smell of sandalwood and poppies filled her nose. She found it somewhat familiar and at the same time oddly comforting. She nuzzled her face into the pillow, letting sleep take her.

-

Death the Kid was in his office, determined to NOT think about the blonde haired girl that he knew was in the manor with him. He didn’t want to force her into anything that she might not be ready for. They both could get swept up in it. But that voice inside him got louder with proximity and so he decided like a coward to simply avoid her for the time being.

_That will just make it worse. You know she’s here... just out of reach._

The voice was a whisper, silky sweet. He shivered a little. He had not slept since her arrival and he thought maybe it was time to make an attempt. Technically a shinigami did not  _have_ to sleep but he had to admit that he was a lot more put together when he did. He rubbed his temples  as he felt a headache coming on. The voice inside him continued to try to push him towards Maka and that was speeding his migraine along just nicely. 

He needed to sleep, he admitted finally, or he was going to snap at someone. Most likely Liz and Patti whom he knew were spending their time with Maka like he wished he could. 

He pushed himself up out of his office chair and made his way to his bedroom.  Once he entered the room he took off his jacket, hanging it with the others. He was unbuttoning his shirt when he suddenly became aware that he was not alone in the room. He quickly looked over at the bed and saw an outline of a small body under the covers. At the head of the bed he could see ash blonde hair poking out of the blankets. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding before he was slammed with heat. She was in his bed! The voice screamed at him to do something, anything. He shakily finished unbuttoning his shirt and changed into a pair of black lounge pants.

He looked at her and the bed for only a few seconds before getting under the covers with her. Almost instantly she curled against him. He placed one arm around her, the motion tentative. Her response was to roll so she was facing him. Her cheek rested against his naked chest. He watched her, entranced by her softly breathing form. Before he could fully comprehend that he was falling asleep he had already faded with Maka in his arms.


	2. Instincts

Medusa’s lips curved upwards in a sickly sweet smile. Her fingers were stroking the bloody, throbbing throat of her most recent interrogation subject. Her touch was soft, almost caressing, “Tell me,” she said in a purr that caused the demon beneath her hands to tremble all the more violently, “what use are you if you can’t even stay loyal to the god that made you?”

“B-but I gave you everything I know! You said you’d s-s-stop.”

The fear in the demon’s voice was like a drug to Medusa and she smiled wider. This was her favorite part. “But I already knew all of that. You were useless to me.” Her grip on his neck tightened, and she paused only a moment to drink in the horrified expression on his face before slamming her foot into the demon’s stomach. Her kick caused him to fall over the edge of the chasm into The Pit. He let out a particularly satisfying scream before his voice blended with the thousands of screams of the damned.

Free shoved forward the next one, this time a woman. The woman had watched the torture of the demon before her and she looked suitably terrified. Medusa’s smile turned to a grin as she reached for the woman. She looked at Medusa for only a brief moment before turning and leaping into The Pit of her own accord.

Medusa watched the woman disappear into The Pit, laughing and flicking the blood from her fingers. “The demons you have brought me so far have been worthless, Eruka. Free, why do you let her continue to disappoint me?”

Free gave a careless shrug, more than used to Medusa’s games and made no move to defend his partner, “You said not to raise suspicion. We can’t grab anyone closer to the Shinigami family without arousing at least some amount of scrutiny. As it stands, I doubt that the disappearances in Death City have gone completely unnoticed.”

Medusa gazed at the blood under her fingernails. The sight of it gave her a great amount of satisfaction. Despite the lack of results she so enjoyed the process. It was a shame that it wasn’t getting her any closer to her goal. Perhaps it was time for a bold move? The leap would have to be made some time. “I think a change of strategy is in order. We will go ahead and break the first seal.”

Eruka’s head snapped up from watching the swirling fires in The Pit, not too close of course, just in case Medusa got any ideas seeing her too close to the lip, “What about the guest at Gallows Manor that they seem determined to hide?” It wasn’t like Medusa to simply give up something after spending so much effort on it.

“That’s what your goal is, Eruka. I expect better results this time.” She smiled sweetly at her, “You are to infiltrate the manor. Find out about the guest and if we can use them to our advantage. Look for anything at all that can be used against the Shinigami family. Free, Crona and I will destroy the first seal in the meantime.”

Free and Eruka exchanged a glance but both knew better than to question orders.

 

-

 

As a shinigami Kid did not sleep long and woke before Maka to find that she had tucked herself under his chin, her body practically sprawled against his own. Her warm breath was hitting the side of his neck tantalizingly. He breathed deeply, feeling more refreshed than he could ever remember feeling before. He watched her for another moment before closing his eyes and simply enjoying the feeling of her warmth against him.

It was only moments later that he felt the approach of a familiar soul that made him want to sigh. He very gently shifted Maka so she was tucked into his side, pulling the covers completely over her so she was out of view, managing to sit up with one arm around her in the process. Maka obediently curled closer to him, burrowing into his warmth before seeming to settle contentedly.

He could hear the small sound of the door opening and then closing.

“What do you want, Stein?” he hissed as quietly as he could, “and keep your voice down,” he added for good measure. He was one of his father’s trusted friends and provided the god with a lot of useful information... but he was still a madman and Kid found himself wanting to remove him from Maka’s presence as fast as possible.

“Am I interrupting something?” Stein smirked as he came into view. His eyes immediately fell on the blanket covered form as if he could see who lay beneath.

Kid tightened his grip on Maka. _Yes,_ he wanted to say. “No.” The word came out more like a growl, “Out with it. You’ve never interrupted my sleep for anything before.”

“Ah, but you weren’t sleeping.” He rotated the screw at the side of his head, it made periodic clicks as he did. He was still staring at the covers that hid Maka, probably examining her soul. Stein’s ability to read souls rivaled his father’s so Kid had no doubt that the scientist knew exactly what he was looking at. He must have decided to ignore it for the time being however because his gaze turned to Kid, “The first seal has broken.”

“What?” Kid’s voice was louder than he intended in his disbelief. He felt the world falling out from underneath him. Maka stirred next to him, bringing him back to the present and he continued speaking. Much more quietly this time, “Do you know who it was?”

“No.”

“What of Sid and Nygus?”

Stein shrugged, “Dead. Lost too. They had to have been either tossed into The Pit or something worse.” He shrugged, “regardless of what happened we can’t find their souls to question them.”

Kid took this in as Maka’s soul tickled on the periphery of his senses. He looked down at her and his gaze was met by bleary emeralds. They blinked a few times at him, “Kid?” her voice was husky with sleep, her gaze confused as she looked at him. Fear permeated her wavelength causing his stomach to turn.

Stein began to turn his screw again, chuckling darkly as he did, “I’ve never taken apart a Grigori soul,” he grinned wide, “I would love to dissect you, girl.”

This statement brought Maka’s attention to him standing in the door way. Her breathing became labored and Kid could almost taste the sourness of the terror sparking in her soul. Kid instinctively pulled her against him and turned his head to Stein, feeling his instincts roar to the surface. _He’s upsetting her!_

“Leave, now.” His tone was threatening.

Stein merely grinned again, “Very well. However, your father seems to be content to make no action except warn the other guardians of the seals. Hopefully you can come up with something better. It wouldn’t be wise to let this continue.” He took one last long look at Maka, eliciting a low growl from the young shinigami next to her before leaving the room. Kid could hear him cackling all the way down the hallway.

Kid relaxed a little, looking back down at Maka, “I’m sorry. He’s not a bad guy, though. Most of the time anyway. I wouldn’t let him hurt you.”

“H-His smile...” A shudder ran through her body, “it was the same smile as the man I was running from that day. T-they both look completely mad.”

He sighed, “He’s definitely that. He won’t touch you though.” He felt himself relaxing in response to her wavelength calming. Once he was able to assure himself she was fine, he allowed his thoughts to wander to Sid and Nygus, guardians to the first seal. Kid hadn’t thought anyone would be crazy enough to release _him_ from his prison. Kid had never met him, it was something that had happened before his time but he knew the stories. He knew them well enough to know he couldn’t let whoever it was break the next seal.

That wasn’t even considering the fact that he respected the guardians they had set on the seals. He wasn’t too surprised to feel a pang of guilt over their death. Their possible eradication actually, if Stein could not even find their souls in the Underworld. There were few forces capable of taking a soul out of circulation. Typically it was done through himself or his father. This caused his brow to furrow. His father would know the other ways. Perhaps that would be the key to finding out who was behind this before they headed to the next seal. The ten seals had no particular order that they needed to be broken, he would rather catch them before they took the second seal rather than wait for one of the guardians to do them in or identify them.

“I’m sorry,” Maka was watching him with those green eyes that both soothed and fired him up, “I didn’t realize this was your bed. She was pulling away from him, out of the covers.

Kid blinked at her a couple of times, a little dazed. He had been so lost in his thoughts, Maka a warm comforting presence that he forgot the situation at hand. It had felt so natural for her to be there when he woke he forgot she had managed to sneak in there while he was working, “It doesn’t matter,” he gave her a teasing smile, “I actually slept much better than I normally do. I am curious though, how did you end up here?” He didn’t dare hope that she was looking for him.

She gave a helpless shrug, “I’m not sure. I’m sorry,” she dashed out, leaving Kid staring in the direction she left.

 

 

-

 

Eruka didn’t have any problem posing as a new worker at the manor. Which made her suspicious at first, before she decided with relief that the family either didn’t expect any traitors to slip in or were confident that anything they found could not be used against them. For her own sake she hoped it was the former. She could use an easy job to get back into Medusa’s good graces.

She was also surprised to find that she was not heavily supervised and was able to move around with significant freedom. She could slip through the halls with very little questioning, which she immediately put to good use trying to catch a glimpse of this mysterious guest. Only a few of the other servants had managed to catch a glimpse of the girl so the rumors were still flowing.

A few peaked her interest. The most interesting being that this guest seemed to be causing the Prince to act strangely.

It had been difficult to get a description of “strangely”, but worth every ounce of effort. Everything was pointing to her being at least somewhat important to the family. Or at the very least to the Prince.

Vagueness would not do for Medusa, she thought as she slipped into the library. Not if she wanted to avoid a punishment.

She was a little irritated to find the room empty, though she spotted a tea tray, the pot cold. She looked around once more before settling to pick up the tray to take back to the kitchen. Her eyes stopped on the sight of a thin volume next to the tray, presumably what the guest had been reading. She set the tray back down and flipped through the book.

Her smile widened as she skimmed. Did she dare to assume?

 

-

 

She managed to find her way back to her room and didn’t breathe easy until she had shut herself inside. Being so close to him, enveloped in his scent… had been simultaneously the safest she had ever felt and the most excruciating. She was at a loss to explain it, as she jumped into the hot bath. Maka was sure that there was something more that needed to be done between the two of them, as if they had hovering unfinished business. Although she couldn’t begin to imagine what that would be.

Once Maka had bathed and changed, she found her way back to the library before she could be accosted by the Thompson sisters. The library was the one place she knew answers could be found, though she was beginning to wonder if it had the answers to the questions running through her soul. But she had no other options, because she damn well wasn’t going to ask Kid for any.

She moved to the table where she left the book she had been reading only to stop mid-grab. Carefully set down on top of her book was another, thin with a leather black cover. Stamped across the front in a simple serif font was the word SHINIGAMI. Her hand hovered over it uncertainly for only a second before she picked it up. She wasn’t a fool, she knew that whoever had put it there had put it there for her on purpose. For a reason. She was a little wary, she didn’t know who could have done it. Kid, perhaps? The little she knew about him made her reject that idea. One of the Thompson sisters, maybe, to help her understand? Plausible, but unlikely as they seemed to avoid books as much as possible.

She opened the book and the pages naturally fell open where a thick skull bookmark had been placed. Heat infused her cheeks when she read the title of the chapter—IV. MATING.

This caused her head to shoot up and scan the library quickly. Upon finding it as empty as usual, she settled down to read the volume from cover to cover.

The blood seemed to drain from her face when she finished the book. She placed it back where she had found it and leaned back against the couch cushions. Her head felt like a storm. She could feel a headache building behind her eyes, a steady beating against her skull. If nothing else, it was abundantly clear what purpose the book had been left for her to stumble upon. She was obviously to infer that she had such a… connection with Kid. His _mate_.

Her eyes closed to block the world out. She allowed herself to think about the life she had lost. She missed the world on the surface, where things had made more sense, where life somehow seemed easier to manage. Her path had been clear—finish college, get job, possibly fall in love and try to not die in the meantime.

Here, things seemed twisted. She couldn’t grasp what was expected of her in this world, she couldn’t fathom how to live when you were strictly speaking no longer alive and now this. Soulmate to a shinigami, to a _god_. If that was even true. Her feelings and reactions to him had been unusual… instinctual. But could she really believe in such a thing?

And to seal the bond…. She shook her head violently, the heated blush returning to her cheeks and spreading to her neck.

“I’m really sorry about this, but you’re going to have to come with me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kind of boring intro stuff, eh? Just as a warning, I'm planning on making this quite a bit darker, starting in chapter 2.
> 
> The Underworld here is kind of a combination of several mythologies and some things I'll add in myself.


End file.
